Supporters of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump protest alleged bias by CNN at the cable network's offices in Hollywood, Calif., on Oct. 22, 2016. As president, Trump frequently criticizes the media. “If the media's job is to … tell the truth, the media deserves a very, very big fat failing grade,” he said at a rally marking his 100th day in office. (AFP/Getty Images/Mark Ralston)

Journalism is facing a credibility crisis. Declining faith in government and other institutions and a decades-long assault by conservatives have hurt mainstream news outlets. And President Trump has called journalists “the enemy of the American people.” Recent incidents involving public figures, including a Montana congressional candidate's alleged assault on a reporter, have underscored the hostility that journalists face. Some traditional media also have suffered from self-inflicted wounds by blurring the lines between news and commentary and ignoring the interests of rural readers to focus on well-off urbanites. Ad revenue and subscriptions at newspapers have plummeted, in part due to the rise of the internet and changing consumer habits. Meanwhile, social media have fostered “echo chambers” in which people seek out news that affirms their beliefs. Journalists and those studying the news business say mainstream outlets must be more transparent about how they do their jobs and more skillful at explaining events to survive.